Several species of coppers live in the Valley, and while the taxonomy of these small butterflies is still being clarified, the blotch on the underside of the hindwing of this individual identifies it as Lycaena enysii, the North Island Glade Copper. I photographed this just a few metres from the Pohangina River, near Totara Reserve.
All content © 2014 Pete McGregor
Oh, to have wings and feed on nectar ...
ReplyDeleteEphemeral magic.
ReplyDeleteI saw some with the same coloration here, and they are just so striking flitting among the green. They do look like splashes of shiny metal.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, that sounds like a great life.
ReplyDeleteEC, I'm not sure how long they live as adults, but this was in very good condition. Some end up tatty, but whether that happens over days, weeks, or months, I don't know.
Zhoen, we have larger butterflies with striking colours, but those colours tend to be darker so the insect doesn't stand out the way these do. These always make me feel cheerful.